Readers were encouraged to join a live chat with three Ukrainian journalists visiting the Daily Press newsroom in Newport News, Virginia, through a media exchange program.

Alla: Unfortunately for the 22 years of independence, a lot of Ukrainian people still expect the government to take care of them and make important decisions for them. Gradually, the younger generation is changing this way of thinking and relying more on themselves.

From Cathy Grimes on Facebook: You've had a chance to see traffic in the Hampton Roads region. How does traffic, and transportation infrastructure, in this region compare to roads and transit in Ukraine?

Zhanna: The roads here are much better than the roads in Ukraine. There is a lot of traffic here. What I like here is that I haven't seen any accidents here so far, and all the drivers here seem tolerant and patient. They seem to follow the rules much better than in the Ukraine. We are all impressed with the bridge-tunnels.